


Synchronization

by fio13, Shinocchi



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Comfort/Angst, Dirty Talk, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Making Love, Post-Canon, Thunderstorms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-24
Updated: 2014-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-26 21:16:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2666621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fio13/pseuds/fio13, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinocchi/pseuds/Shinocchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day during a horrible thunderstorm, Noiz and Aoba get reminded of their old, mutual fear. This unpleasant experience soon transforms into something completely different once they realize just how similar they are, in turn giving them a new sense of purpose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Synchronization

**Author's Note:**

> Shino: It's a great pleasure for me to proudly present you this fic. It's an even greater pleasure for me to be able to collaborate with Fio, who's not only a person I greatly admire, but also a friend, a soulmate, someone who had been there for me through my ups and downs. Without her, there wouldn't be the Shino you see today. This fic means a lot to me. It's a result of how much I've grown throughout the one year plus of me writing for this fandom, and it also shows how this fandom has introduced me to a friend whom I know will stay with me for the rest of my life. I hope you enjoy reading this piece as much as we enjoyed creating it. And I hope this fic can give you an idea of how terribly magnificent this pairing that has united our two souls together is.
> 
> Fio: After many different things we did and went through together, my dear friend Shino and I thought that it would be fun to try out something challenging like combining our writing strengths and doing a collab together. It’s been nothing but great honor to do this with someone as amazing and creative as Shino. We bring you the final result of our joined otp visions and the bonding of our souls. I hope you have fun reading! <3

One step, two steps, three, four… He stopped his counting at the fifth step. Looking over his shoulder, Aoba smiled at the deep, visible footprints he left behind him, bending down to check on his shoes. They looked as new as ever; he hasn’t worn them much anyway. Noiz had insisted to buy them when Aoba stared at them through the shop window for only three seconds longer than usual while they were out shopping a few days before.

There was nothing he could do to stop Noiz from doing what he wanted. So instead, he’d bought him a new scarf as an exchange gift, making a small flush appear on his younger boyfriend as they walked back home.

Now that his shoes were sunk into the sand, they got slightly dirty, but it was nothing too bad.

Giving out a satisfied sigh, Aoba continued counting.

Six, seven, eight. On the ninth count, he halted, the bright smile on his lips slowly being replaced with a frown. It was the beginning of winter and the weather had become increasingly cold with each passing day. After a half a year of residing in Germany, this would be Aoba’s very first time to experience something that was once only a faraway dream – the small, soft balls that fell from the sky, melting out of sight once they landed on people’s hands – it wasn’t something Aoba has ever experienced before when he was in Midorijima.

And that was what led him to propose the idea to his boyfriend.

“Say, Noiz, when do you think it’ll start snowing?” Aoba had asked him as he gazed out of the window earlier that day. The view from it wasn’t particularly interesting; their neighborhood wasn’t well known, and it didn’t look too extravagant either.

The first time they’d arrived in Germany and stepped out of the airport, Aoba had expected to be overwhelmed by constant luxury. When it came to their new home, he’d assumed that it would be something extravagant, perhaps even something out of this world, something that would make him drop his jaw like when they’d spent their night in that luxurious hotel in Platinum Jail. He remembered giving his boyfriend a constant side eye stare on the way there that was merely encountered with a simple, but mischievous smirk. When they finally reached their destination, Aoba was totally lost for words, albeit for entirely different reason than the one he had been anticipating.

As he’d finally set his eyes on their new home, all that was on his mind was how he might have underestimated how much Noiz understood him.

The apartment was reasonably sized, and despite its modern design, it seemed comfortable and it had a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Most importantly, it really felt like home, and Aoba fell in love with it at a first glance.

“Soon,” Noiz had responded, staring unblinkingly at Aoba as if it was the first time he’d seen him. But Aoba hadn’t even paid attention to him. Completely perplexed at the way a tint of pink appeared on Aoba’s cheeks, Noiz had barely managed to look away before Aoba turned around to stare at him instead, now with a bright smile plastered on his face.

“Let’s go out!”

Noiz didn’t remember nodding, let alone giving Aoba a ‘yes’. What he remembered, however, was how Aoba had dragged him down the hallway and into their room and how he’d wrapped him up in layers and layers of thick clothing, making him put his old beanie on his head. He couldn’t figure out what was the reason behind his boyfriend’s bright, beautiful smile, but he knew that the warmth he was feeling in his chest could act as a great indicator – a great hint – for him to get an idea about what Aoba was feeling, because the sensation had become something so familiar to him ever since Aoba became a part of his life.

“Ten.”

Aoba stopped again. This time, he scowled deeper as he stared up at the sky. The fun and carefree atmosphere had quickly turned into something else entirely the instant he heard the sound he didn’t particularly register as pleasant.

The sound coming from the sky was deep and strong, and despite still being distant, it immediately stirred a sense of uneasiness in Aoba.

“What’s wrong?”

“Woah--!”

Startled by the sudden voice next to him, he jumped and came back to his senses only to see Noiz standing right in front of him with a thermos in his hand.

“How’s your training going?” Noiz asked, looking at the traces Aoba had left behind him in the sand.

Earlier that day, Aoba had dragged Noiz out of the house and into the cold weather just to ‘practice’ stepping in the sand pit at a playground near their house. Noiz couldn’t figure out what it was all about- as usual, Aoba managed to amaze him. Aoba had excitedly tried to draw him into the plan as well before Noiz brushed him off with a shrug and a small frown. He couldn’t understand what was the whole deal with ‘becoming familiar with the feeling of one’s legs sinking into the soft land instead of getting caught off guard when it actually happened’, as Aoba elegantly put it. But nothing could stop Noiz from smiling when he noticed how much Aoba was enjoying himself. In fact, nothing was more important than that.

Before he could comment further, Aoba grabbed the thermos out of his hand.

“I would’ve created more if you didn’t interrupt me,” Aoba said, taking a few sips of the hot chocolate from the bottle as Noiz let out a hum.

“But you seemed to be distracted by something else now, didn’t you?”

Sending him a not very convincing glare, Aoba pushed the thermos back into the nineteen-year-old’s hand and walked past him without another word.

“Where are you going?” Noiz asked as he caught up to Aoba.

“Home.”

“Already done with training?”

Noiz’s tone twitched a nerve in him, but he knew that it was just the brat’s exclusive communication style and he was definitely not going to dwell on it much longer. Otherwise he would end up experiencing another defeat.

“It’s getting dark,” Aoba simply replied. Then, he heard that same rumbling sound again. This time, it was louder than before.

He sped up his steps, silently praying that Noiz didn’t find anything strange in his behavior, until he noticed his boyfriend’s pace becoming faster and faster, almost overtaking him.

They didn’t say anything else after that. Both of them were practically running towards the house and the moment they closed the door behind them, Aoba let out a relieved sigh. He was surprised to hear Noiz do the same, albeit more softly than he did.

_Don’t tell me…_

But it was too late for him to ask, because Noiz grabbed his hand and led him into the bedroom, where he quickly but silently started taking off his scarf and jacket for him.

“Noiz?” Aoba called out, attempting to do the same for Noiz but as he was about to reach out to him, Noiz already started taking off his own jacket and his beanie, and then he turned his back towards Aoba, acting as if he didn’t hear him.

“Is something wrong?” Aoba asked. Just a few minutes ago, Noiz was still the cheeky brat that had successfully flustered Aoba without even trying; but now, he was wearing an expression that was far sharper than Aoba remembered it to be. His movements were slightly staggered when he slid his scarf off his neck, but above all, no matter how hard he was trying to hide it, Aoba could clearly see the faint trembling of his fingers when he pulled the curtains down, drowning them in almost complete darkness.

By now the sun had already set, but it wasn’t the reason why the sky outside was so dark now. Rather, it was because of…

“Agh!” Caught off guard, Aoba let out a loud yelp as he covered his ears with both hands. He knew that this was coming, but Noiz’s abnormal behavior had distracted him momentarily, causing him to brush it off.

Until now.

The thunder was loud. Very loud. It sounded as if it was punching a hole right through their roof. Even after the loud strike had passed, Aoba could still hear the vibration in his ears, accompanied by the loud pounding of his own heart.

Neither one of them moved, both seeming to hold their breath. For a brief moment, everything was still. Then carefully, Aoba looked up, and to his surprise, he saw Noiz staring out of the window with an unreadable emotion on his face, as if he was looking at something Aoba couldn’t see.

“N-Noiz?”

That was when Aoba finally realized what was going on.

His impulses taking over, he rushed up to Noiz, and was about to grab him when suddenly Noiz pushed his hand off in such an abrupt way that it left Aoba stunned for a few moments. Then, he sighed as he carefully moved forward and wrapped Noiz up in a hug.

“I’m here, I’m here.”

Noiz was stiff in his arms for a while, but then he started to relax, slowly returning Aoba’s hug as he buried his head in Aoba’s chest. Instinctively, Aoba placed his hands over Noiz’s ears in order to block out the sounds from outside, and as he did so, he felt Noiz’s embrace tighten. He must’ve done it unconsciously.

As rain started falling outside, creating more loud noise, Aoba removed his hands, assuming that it was safe, that the thunder had finally stopped, but in the next second it roared again, making him let out another surprised shriek. Now it sounded even closer than before.

This time though, before he could move his hands to cover Noiz’s ears again, he found another pair of hands covering his own ears, blocking away the terrifying sounds. Soon, all he could hear was an almost inaudible buzz and the loud thumping of his heart – it was beating so fast, like it was ready to burst out of his chest.

“N-Noiz, are you okay?” Aoba asked, peeking up at his boyfriend with one eye only to see Noiz already staring at him.

“Scared?” Noiz asked, trying to sound casual, but it was apparent by his tone that he was worried.

“… what about you?” Aoba asked uncertainly. Sure, he himself was positively horrified, but his primary concern was how Noiz felt.

Noiz merely gave Aoba a smirk that was almost immediately replaced with a frown.

“Oh come here, you,” Aoba smiled, tenderness spreading through his chest upon seeing Noiz’s troubled expression. He took Noiz’s hands off his ears and carefully led him to their bed, making him sit down. Then he quickly grabbed their blanket, covering them both with it before he proceeded to settle himself in between Noiz’s legs.

“What’s this about?” Noiz asked, hands instinctively wrapping around Aoba’s torso while Aoba leaned backwards, pressing his back against Noiz’s chest as he took his hands into his.

“I figured a certain big boy has a weakness that he’s trying not to reveal,” Aoba responded teasingly, but his voice was one of comfort. He felt Noiz’s arms around him tighten, and then he was nuzzling Aoba’s cheek, placing a soft kiss on the back of his neck immediately afterwards. All of these were small, almost unnoticeable actions but Aoba felt them so clearly, he couldn’t help but blush a little.

“And I figured a certain big boy is trying to act as if he’s not afraid,” Noiz murmured beside his ear. As soon as he said that, another thunder hit the roof of their building, the impact of it so loud it made their windows shake.

Noiz was almost closing his eyes when something else distracted him. Aoba was grasping on his arms so hard, he was sure that he would have bruises later.

The fear left him instantly. Not only was Aoba holding onto him as if his entire life was depending on him, he was also trembling. His shivers weren’t that visibly obvious, but since they were so close to each other with literally zero distance between them, there was no way Noiz could miss them. Feeling his heart pick up speed, Noiz held him even closer, practically wrapping his entire body around Aoba’s.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here,” he whispered.

Sometimes it amazed him how similar they could be. Noiz still remembered how he put a ‘different’ label on Aoba when he first met him. But across time, he realized that that was a huge misjudgment. Essentially, Aoba wasn’t that much different than him– sometimes he was vulnerable, yet so strong, a bit childish at times, yet so reasonable.

Aoba was also everything Noiz wanted to be. He remembered the countless times he had jokingly called Aoba ‘big brother’ just to fluster him but with time, he finally came to understand he was actually serious about it. He was an elder brother himself, but Aoba was _his_ big brother, or rather, someone he looked up to. It made all the sense in the world to address him as such, even if Aoba only saw it as Noiz teasing him.

Aoba was definitely strong. That went without saying – he proved it multiple times anyway. The way he managed to adapt to his new surroundings fairly quickly and the way he never ceased to help Noiz as much as he could were all solid evidence that Aoba was nothing but strong.  

Aoba had told him that he didn’t want him to worry too much about him and that he wanted Noiz to focus on himself more. He’d told him that he should enjoy the world. Noiz knew that Aoba told him all of these with good intentions but at that time, he couldn’t help but feel a bit lonely. It was because no matter how hard he tried to brush the unnecessary thoughts away, at first it just sounded as if those words were possibly suggesting that Aoba didn’t need him. It made him feel as if Aoba was pushing him away.

But he quickly realized how wrong he was, and it was especially obvious now that Aoba’s walls were crumbling, gradually allowing him entrance, telling Noiz that Aoba himself didn’t realize how much he needed support as well.  

When nothing but the sounds of strong wind and rain could be heard for a while, Aoba opened his eyes, glancing through the darkness before he turned around in Noiz’s arms to look at him.

“You okay?”

Noiz chuckled.

“Are _you_ okay?”

Their laughter overpowered the ferocious sounds of storm outside their window. Then, Noiz hugged Aoba more firmly again, pressing their cheeks together as he caressed Aoba’s sides.

“S-stop!” Aoba struggled not to laugh as he squirmed in Noiz’s embrace. “Tickles.”

“When I was young,” Noiz suddenly started speaking, his tone serious, “I told myself not to be frightened over something like this. I believed that if everyone else didn’t need me, then all I needed to do was to be strong enough to survive by myself. But no matter how hard I tried,” Noiz closed his eyes, burying his head further into Aoba’s neck before he continued. “I could never get used to _this_. It’s… horrible.”

Noiz’s words triggered something deep inside Aoba. Before he knew it, he was patting Noiz’s head, giving him a gentle smile, while Noiz only gaped at him in reaction.

“You don’t need to face this alone anymore. I’m here with you now.”

The next thing he knew, Noiz was hugging him so tight, Aoba was starting to find it hard to take in air. He could feel Noiz’s breath against his cheeks, he could feel Noiz’s heart beating furiously against his own chest, but most importantly, he could hear Noiz’s small laugh – a sound that always managed to tug at his heartstrings.

The next time Noiz looked at him, he was giving him such a genuine smile that Aoba found his lips open in awe and his breath stuck in his throat. He stared at him only for a few brief moments before he leaned in and kissed Noiz on the lips.

Perhaps the thing Aoba _really_ needed to be afraid of was not the storm, but rather, it was Noiz – the brat who always managed to disrupt his composure in such a simple way, who made him feel as if losing him would be equivalent to losing his purpose in life. 

Noiz returned his kiss without hesitation. Aoba wasn’t someone who’d make a first move like this very frequently, but whenever he did, the feeling it gave him was so rewarding that he couldn’t resist the temptation of responding in equal passion every single time.

Slowly, they moved to the top of the bed, Aoba lying down and placing his head onto the pillows as Noiz settled himself on top of him. Soon, their hands were all over each other. Completely ignoring the sounds of the storm outside, they continued ravishing each other’s mouths, taking each other’s breath away until they were only left with desperate and excited gasps for air.

Neither one of them had any intention of stopping. Their current position didn’t even require them to cling onto each other anymore, but still, they remained in a tight embrace, Aoba’s hands buried deeply in Noiz’s hair and Noiz caressing Aoba’s cheeks blindly as he kissed him over and over again.

While Aoba returned his kisses with vigor, Aoba’s desire to mark Noiz as _his_ was radiating towards him more strongly with each new passionate meeting of their lips, with each intense gaze exchanged in between kisses. It was starting to make his throat swell with an overwhelming tightness, giving him a strange, burning sensation.  Noiz had to pull his lips away from Aoba in order to take a deep, shaky breath and stop this intense feeling before it made him too dizzy to think coherently.

Once they both managed to inhale some well-needed air, Noiz took the opportunity to slip one of his hands under Aoba’s shirt. A hum escaped his lips when he found what he was looking for as he grabbed a sensitive nipple in between his fingers, playfully teasing it and applying small pressure onto it until Aoba was giving out quiet moans that Noiz was sure he was trying his best to suppress.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he said, wiping saliva off of Aoba’s chin with his tongue. “It’s only the two of us here.” He did sound confident as he said it, his voice raw and husky and teasing like always, but that burning, powerful feeling from earlier didn’t subside one bit. If anything, it started to spread all the way down to his chest, slowly but surely consuming him.

“T-that’s not—“ Aoba started, but his words were immediately cut off when Noiz gave his nipple a squeeze, causing him to arch his back and tighten the grip he had on Noiz’s shoulder.

Noiz never minded seeing Aoba overreact to his actions; in fact, it usually enticed him even further. Seeing Aoba let go of any worries, with no restrictions whatsoever gave him a sense of satisfaction he couldn’t quite define. By now, he had all of Aoba’s sensitive spots memorized and he learned what the most effective ways to satisfy his boyfriend were. And of course, Aoba tried his best to do the same for him as well. Noiz would tell him that it wasn’t necessary, but seeing him trying so hard to please him when all Noiz really needed was for Aoba to simply _want_ him usually pulled him away from that thought.

It was a slightly terrifying, but wonderful feeling nonetheless – the feeling of being wanted. And it was even more so when it was expressed in such a desperate way, like Aoba did now. The way he trembled in his arms, the way he seemed to yearn for Noiz’s touch as he stared at him with that shy but pleading look in his warm, golden orbs - it gave him a feeling of desire that he didn’t think was possible for a mere human being to feel. Or rather, he thought so, until Aoba entered into his life and managed to prove him wrong.

“Aoba,” he called the voice of his lover, his tone so deep and passionate it made Aoba tremble even harder than before.

Suddenly, Noiz began placing hard kisses onto Aoba’s skin. He started from his cheek, moving to his neck, his lips slowly trailing all the way down to his collarbone and leaving deep, red bruises in the process.

“Ah, N-Noiz—“ Aoba sank his nails into Noiz’s skin in reaction, dead sure that it’d leave marks later, but none of those were their concerns at this moment. Just like Noiz was leaving visible marks on him, he was simply responding to Noiz’s passion in the best way he knew, matching it with his own.

“I want you,” Noiz whispered, his voice trembling almost as much as Aoba did under his touches. “I want you so much, I can feel it in my entire body.”

Aoba’s eyes widened the instant he heard Noiz’s words. He opened his trembling lips in order to say something in response, but before he could utter a word, Noiz chose to effectively snatch it away with a kiss. His hand started playing with the tips of Aoba’s hair as his tongue greedily explored every part of Aoba’s mouth, and he sighed into the kiss as Aoba kissed him back just as hard without a second of hesitation.

When they finally parted, Aoba’s face had a deep blush, small droplets of sweat trickling down his forehead as he panted heavily. Noiz could practically no longer hear the storm outside their house; all that he heard were his and Aoba’s heavy breaths. Then, Noiz’s hands were on Aoba’s body again, quickly undressing him. Aoba started doing the same to Noiz’s clothes, and soon, both of them were left with nothing but their bare, sweat-slicked bodies.

As Noiz turned around to discard their clothes from their bed and out of the way, he accidentally caught sight of their huge window. Only few minutes ago he was reluctant to even go near it, but now that this change of atmosphere took place, seeing the darkness of the cold, stormy night that could be seen from it had an opposite effect on him. Once he turned his gaze back to Aoba, there was a look of confused, slightly worried daze on his face.

“What’s wrong, Noiz?”

Face very slowly cracking into a smirk, Noiz gave him a deep, pointed stare, amused to see goose bumps form all over Aoba’s skin the instant he caught his expression. The fact that he could cause that kind of effect on his lover by merely making a suggestive glance towards him was doing things to both his heart and his ego.

But Aoba seemed to snap back out of his trance quickly.

“Stop that thought you are having.” Aoba moved back slightly, his reaction making Noiz let out a silent hum.

“It’s raining, and no one will be passing by anyway,” Noiz tried to make his point clear, but it seemed like Aoba already made up his mind.

“No. We already did that before,” he murmured, averting his gaze from Noiz only slightly and indicating that he remembered the said encounter very well.  Noiz couldn’t help but grin once he saw that reaction, moving closer to place a small peck on Aoba’s cheek.

“So? We can always do it again.”

“No, I mean…” Taking a breath, Aoba pushed his head further into the pillows and continued. “I… don’t want you to strain yourself too much while thinking about how to make me happy. Just…” He visibly swallowed once, before shifting his gaze back to Noiz and looking at him shyly. “Just focus on me here, like this. That’s enough.”

This time, Noiz was the one who had to swallow thickly in order to contain himself before he could mindlessly jump at Aoba and show him just how capable he was of ‘focusing on him’. He thought he was doing well so far, he really did. But when Aoba lifted his legs, spreading them apart and uncovering his private parts as he held the backs of his knees with his hands, Noiz swore he could almost _hear_ the cracking of his control limit.

“If you really need more assurance…” Aoba trailed off, desire written all over his face as he sent him one self-conscious, but powerful stare nonetheless.

“I… want you too. Now come here.”

In the next second, Noiz was already towering over him, a rush of lust consuming him in such a powerful way, he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes in order to emphasize to Aoba just how much of an effect that bold move of open seduction had on him. Aoba’s reaction was instantaneous; he visibly shivered from head to toe, his lips half-opened in anticipation as he waited for Noiz to move. In that moment, Noiz wanted nothing more than to devour those pouty lips, wanted to suck all the breath out of his lungs and replace it with his own. But he did none of that. Instead, he simply brought his hand to Aoba’s face, carefully trailing his cheeks with feather-like touches. When he reached his chin, he easily lifted it up with his index and middle finger, giving Aoba a slightly amused stare.

“Hmm, what’s gotten into you today?” he asked, his voice bordering on teasing, but it was also husky, that familiar level of depth and power it contained making Aoba’s golden orbs darken.

“You want me, right? And last time I checked, you didn’t mind me wanting you either. Am I wrong?” Aoba asked him back, sounding playful, but tremulous as well, as if he was doing his best to maintain his composure with every word he spoke.

Noiz registered everything that Aoba had said, but still, as seconds ticked by, he remained unmoving as he stared down at him, feeling as if there was a danger of Aoba potentially changing his mind for some unknown reason. And he really didn’t want to take his chances when it came to that - the last thing he wanted was to upset Aoba in any way.

This was the same Aoba who tried his best to mask his own fear of thunder in order to make Noiz feel more comfortable, the one who accepted all of Noiz’s traits, both the good and the bad, with no exceptions. It was the same Aoba who went out of his way to make Noiz feel loved an accepted unconditionally, who made him feel human. This was the person who succeeded in making him more and more happy with each passing day.

The least Noiz could do was to make him feel the same.

After a short silence, Aoba finally sighed before enclosing his hand around the one that was still on his chin.

“… Noiz, please. I _need_ you.”

There was no need for any more words. 

Noiz removed his hand from Aoba’s face and reached towards the night table in order to take the lube, uncapping it with one swift, practiced movement. Quickly squeezing the liquid out of it onto his palm and discarding the bottle away a second later, he brought his hand in between Aoba’s ass cheeks and carefully started to ease his finger into his hole.

Aoba let out a loud moan the instant Noiz managed to push one knuckle inside, his voice sounding like he was far too desperate to register anything other than pleasure. Still, Noiz took his time preparing him, heat pooling in the pit of his gut and his cock getting harder with each passing second as he stared at Aoba’s reactions.

When he managed to place the entire finger inside Aoba, Noiz sent him a smile.

“Heh… you know I love you,” Noiz whispered, his voice somehow succeeding in sounding like a perfect mix of tenderness and impatience as he stretched Aoba’s flesh. “But if you keep saying things like that…” he continued, Aoba’s cries of encouragement making him push harder, aiming for that one sensitive spot inside him. “… you will give me no choice but to fuck you like I don’t.” 

“Then… do it. Ah, do it, Noiz!” Aoba was pressing himself against Noiz’s finger at this point, his eyes half-lidded in pleasure.

Truth was, he would’ve loved to do exactly that. Still, just one look at Aoba’s face made him reevaluate his intentions, and he slid another finger into him instead in order to properly prepare him for what was to come. Aoba’s impatience clearly showed, however; he kept bucking up against him even when Noiz bent his fingers and placed them at the odd angle, grasping onto the bed sheets as strangled moans escaped his lips.

Very soon, Noiz managed to slam his fingers deep into him, and Aoba’s demeanor changed instantly. His lips opened in a prolonged gasp, his body twitching as his eyes almost budged out of its sockets.

Noiz smirked. _He found it._

“You’re feeling it?” he wanted to know, insistently pressing his fingers against the same place over and over again until finally, Aoba moved his hand down and closed it around Noiz’s.

“Noiz that’s… enough,” he said softly, and Noiz felt entranced under the intensity of Aoba’s pleading gaze. Not breaking eye contact with him for even one second, Noiz slowly pulled his fingers out, then moved on top of Aoba and brought his cock to his entrance instead, ready to go in.

Noiz sent him a look, silently asking if he was ready, but then Aoba suddenly grabbed the thick sheets that were abandoned next to them.

“Wait, here…” he murmured distractedly, still staring at Noiz with the same intensity from earlier as he threw the covers over both Noiz and himself, effectively hiding the image of their naked bodies that were pressed on top of one another. Somehow, the implication behind this simple but powerful gesture warmed Noiz’s heart.

“Heh, that’s kind of romantic, don’t you think?” Noiz cooed into Aoba’s ear, teasingly grazing his cock against his entrance and bringing his face to nuzzle against Aoba’s cheek at the same time. Aoba’s reaction was only a quiet huff, but then he simply encased his arms around Noiz’s upper back from under the sheets, giving him a nod of his head as a sign to move.

Just as Noiz managed to push his cock halfway inside, the thunder cracked very close to their apartment, the sound that would usually make Noiz flinch and close his eyes out of reflex. Now, it only gave him a barely noticeable feeling of restlessness.

Once the sound had died out completely, he bit his bottom lip in concentration and was about to move when suddenly Aoba’s hand found itself on his cheek, softly caressing it.

“It’s fine, Noiz. You’re safe with me,” Aoba uttered gently, a reassuring smile fixed on his lips, and the muscles of Noiz’s face that he didn’t even realize were tense until now completely relaxed upon seeing it.

Even in this moment, Aoba was still trying to make Noiz feel at ease. Although Noiz felt like he didn’t need it, still, he appreciated it. In fact, he appreciated it more than Aoba would ever know.

When he thought about it, it was kind of ironic, really. The position they were in indicated that he should be the one protecting Aoba, and yet, Aoba was still the one trying to protect _him_.

“… yeah, I know,” Noiz sent him a small smile back, giving a brief kiss to his knuckles before carefully moving once again.

The horrible weather from outside and the sounds that usually made him feel unsafe were getting further and further away from his earshot. Noiz was beginning to feel like there was a small, secure barrier between the outside world and Aoba and himself. It was almost as if the sheets that were wrapped around them represented that barrier, and it felt like he had managed to enter a completely new world together with Aoba, the world where nothing could do any harm to either one of them.

Right now, all that mattered to Noiz was the person in his arms, the person he was joined with, and the warmth that they shared amongst each other, cocooned under the safety of their sheets.

Right now, Aoba was his entire world.

A sudden deep push against his entrance made Aoba cry out in surprise, and his hand shifted from Noiz’s face to his shoulder, where he dug his nails deep into the skin, making Noiz flinch.

“Too much?” Noiz breathed into Aoba’s neck, trembling upon feeling the overwhelming tightness and heat around his hard flesh. But Aoba only shook his head and pushed back against him, whining when his own cock rubbed against Noiz’s navel piercing.

“It’s fine… just keep going.”

After a particularly sharp thrust, one side of the sheet fell from their bodies, uncovering their legs. Aoba groaned in annoyance, distracted for only a moment before he threw the covers over them both once again, hooking his leg around Noiz’s calf securely and jerking his hips upwards as if nothing happened at all. Breathing out a laugh, Noiz continued with his movements as well, opening his lips in a silent moan. Intense pleasure went through him the moment he hit that same spot inside Aoba that managed to brush against his dick piercings in just the right way. 

Slowly but surely, Noiz had established a steady rhythm, pushing a tad bit deeper inside Aoba each new time he moved forward and making the bed creak underneath them. Aoba was following his movements with enthusiasm, letting out loud, harsh pants with every meeting of their hips. Noiz was sweating like crazy at this point, the warmth from the friction that his and Aoba’s joined bodies were making combined with the warmth the sheets provided almost overwhelming him. But still, it felt good. It felt _way_ too good.

“Ah, Noiz, you’re - sweating so much…” Aoba noticed, wiping Noiz’s forehead with his hand gingerly, and this gesture and the slight concern in Aoba’s pleasure-filled voice did something strange to his heart. He found himself pressing his face against Aoba’s cheek, inhaling his growing scent and licking Aoba’s own sweat from his skin.

“Don’t… care,” Noiz murmured, kissing at every inch of Aoba’s skin within reach. “Warm… you’re _so warm_ , Aoba,” Noiz moaned against Aoba’s lips as he made a firm push into him at the same time, causing Aoba to emit a loud cry and cling to him tighter. 

The pace they had set was still the same, but it was slowly but surely starting to become a bit more desperate, making tremendous amounts of pleasure course through Noiz's entire body every time he would push the head of his cock deep into Aoba’s core. With every thrust, Aoba would yell out in ecstasy and his fingers would gently card through Noiz’s hair. Aoba’s tender, appreciative actions during throes of passion did nothing but succeed in pushing Noiz further to the edge.

“Noiz, Noiz…” Aoba was chanting his name by now, his eyes taking in every detail on Noiz’s face as he moved in sync with him, hands sliding down his back and nails sinking into Noiz’s warm, sweaty skin.

“Are you close?” Noiz asked, staring heatedly into Aoba’s eyes as Aoba proceeded to scratch at the skin of his back, enhancing Noiz’s pleasure to almost alarming proportions as he dived deep into him.

“Ah, yes! I’m so… close,” Aoba whimpered, suddenly moving towards his shoulder and biting into it with fervor, the pain sending sparks through Noiz's entire body like electricity.

 “Do you feel me? Do you feel me as much as I feel you?” Noiz moaned into Aoba’s skin, kissing and licking his ear, his cheek, his neck.

 “I do… I feel you, Noiz,” Aoba cried back at him, his voice making Noiz’s heart skip a beat. “You feel… _so_ good inside me,” he finished, bringing his head close to Noiz’s until his nose affectionately nuzzled his cheek. He was clinging to him hard now, managing to pull Noiz’s cock inside him as deep as it could go.

“I feel… good too,” Noiz gasped, Aoba's flesh suddenly tightening around him as Aoba kept rubbing his own cock against Noiz’s belly frantically. Biting his bottom lip so hard until it turned white, Aoba sent him a look of panicked warning, which Noiz encountered with a smile.

“That’s it, Aoba…” Noiz pressed their foreheads together, feeling his orgasm approaching, moving his arms up so that they could touch Aoba’s cheeks and basking in the addictive feeling of Aoba’s sweet, hot breath on his skin. “Ah, come… come together with me,” he pleaded gently, shocking himself with how desperate his voice sounded.

In the next second, Aoba was latching his lips onto his own, his inner flesh convulsing around his cock, the sensation that succeeded in finally pushing Noiz to the edge. First he felt it at the bottom of his stomach, and then it engulfed his entire lower body, soon going through his chest, his throat, even blurring his mind. The only thought Noiz had left was how _much_ he loved the man that was coming undone in his arms. Aoba’s loud cry of completion turned into a sigh that was effectively swallowed by Noiz’s lips. They remained pressed against each other, gasping and trembling together in their tight embrace, the cold and the storm outside long forgotten as they got lost in the warm, wonderful feeling of becoming one.

 

After the heat around them became a bit too much, Noiz carefully pulled himself out of Aoba, taking the wet wipes from the night table and wiping the remnants of their passionate lovemaking off of his lover’s body. Once he trailed the wet wipe across Aoba’s sweaty chest and forehead, Aoba expressed his gratitude with a barely audible grunt.

“You okay?” Noiz asked him, attempting to pull the covers away once he cleaned himself off to the best of his ability, but Aoba just nodded and pointed towards them with a lazy movement of his hand.

“Mm, don’t remove those…” then he blushed and gestured towards himself. “… and come closer.”

Smiling, Noiz threw the covers back over them, gently pressing his rapidly chilling body against Aoba’s side. But when Aoba instantly cuddled up to him, moving his head so that it was tucked in the crook of his shoulder, Noiz felt the warmth slowly but surely spreading through him all over again.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Noiz murmured, then threading his fingers through Aoba’s soft blue strands, the unique, flowery scent of his hair hitting Noiz’s nostrils.

Aoba pulled his head upwards slightly so that he could send him a glance. The instant their gazes met, a lazy smile stretched across his lips and his hand lifted up in order to stroke Noiz’s face, making sure not to miss all the areas where Noiz’s piercings used to be once. This action made Noiz close his eyes for brief second, before he regained his self-control and brought his attention back to Aoba.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. How could I not be? You were so gentle after all,” Aoba finally replied, his tone fond and playful, and Noiz felt as if all the heat from his body went to his face in a mere second.

_So much for fucking him like he didn’t love him._

When Noiz remained silent, Aoba just chuckled and buried his head further into Noiz’s neck, letting out an appreciative hum as Noiz resumed petting his hair.

“When I was young,” Noiz started, the urge to share his thoughts with Aoba too strong to let this opportunity pass. ”I had no one to depend on when it stormed. I was the only one in the room, with only myself and constant silence.”

The storm was still raging outside as he spoke, but no matter how fierce Mother Nature could be, nothing could ever beat how safe he felt in Aoba’s arms.  

As Aoba snuggled closer to him, an action that was obviously meant to encourage him, Noiz continued, feeling a bit more confident.

“The first time I heard the sound of thunder, I thought it was the end of the world. So I hid under my blanket and waited for the ceiling to fall on me. I told myself that it didn’t matter even if I died. The world didn’t need me anyway. Everyone abandoned me. But,” he could feel Aoba plant a small kiss on his cheek while he paused to take in a breath. “If I knew that I’d meet you one day, I’d fight for my life, no matter what the cost.”

Aoba gave out a small chuckle.

“You know, when I was young, I always hid under my bed when it stormed. I’d be lucky if Koujaku or Granny were around. But if they weren’t, I’d cry and pray so hard that it’d stop soon. Then I’d try to force myself to sleep so that I wouldn’t need to feel so scared anymore.”

They were similar, after all. There was surely a time in the past when the storm was mercilessly hammering outside just like it was now, both child Noiz and child Aoba hiding under their own sheets in different parts of the world, crying and wishing that someone would come over and give them a hug.

When Aoba finished, Noiz didn’t reply – there was no need to say anything anymore. He only kissed the top of his head and closed his eyes, slowly being lulled to sleep by the soothing sounds of Aoba’s steady breathing.

There was no need to fear anymore. Because from now on, if the storm tried to draw the worst fear out of them once again, they would have each other to cling onto.

Now, they had each other to protect.  

* * *

What woke him up the next morning was the loud grumbling of his stomach. Stifling a yawn, Noiz turned around in the bed, about to grab onto his boyfriend’s warm body when he realized that Aoba was absent from his side. As if this mere realization acted as an alarm clock, Noiz opened his eyes wide only to be instantly forced to close them back when the bright sunlight hit him directly on the face.

“Aoba?” he called out, rolling to the opposite side of the bed before he finally struggled out of it with the thick blanket still wrapped around his body. For some reason, the weather was colder than it was yesterday. Even though Noiz was generally fine with it, his body had yet to adapt to the sudden coldness like this, especially now that he was naked with nothing but the blanket as his sole warmth provider.

The moment he stepped out of the room, a familiar aroma instantly hit his nose, luring him into the kitchen. He stood by the doorway, a reflexive smile making its way across his face the moment he saw his boyfriend busying himself in front of the stove, a ladle in one hand.

“You’re awake,” Aoba turned around just in time before Noiz could call out to him. “I was about to wake you up an—for God’s sake, put something on, it’s cold!”

Aoba was already fully dressed, an apron on top of his casual clothes and his hair high in a ponytail. Noiz smirked as he witnessed a pink blush forming on Aoba’s cheeks as his gaze wandered downwards. Walking towards him, Aoba sent him a half-hearted glare and was about to push him out of the kitchen when Noiz opened his arms and pulled him into his embrace instead. Noiz’s warmth intensified by the thick blanket now wrapping them both instantly gave Aoba a sense of peace, and he could do nothing but hug back, pressing his face against Noiz’s chest.

“Good morning,” Noiz muttered into Aoba’s hair, a satisfied sigh escaping his lips.

 “Morning,” Aoba responded shyly, his voice muffled by Noiz’s shoulder.

In an instant, he could hear Noiz’s heart pick up speed. Across time, Aoba had started to notice all these small yet significant reactions coming from Noiz, something that was both endearing and important at the same time. Sure, the brat would act all indifferent and composed on the outside, but the moment Aoba started responding to him in a genuine way, he’d find Noiz pulling out of his emotional cage. Aoba couldn’t help but wish to tease him a bit, so he pulled away and looked up at Noiz, attempting to send him a smirk, only to be suddenly met with Noiz’s lips.

“Mmph!”

Completely caught off guard, he grabbed onto Noiz’s shoulders, balancing himself as he felt Noiz pressing his lips more firmly against his own, one hand sliding downwards to grab on his waist and another grasping the back of Aoba’s neck.

It took a few seconds before they finally separated their kiss. While Aoba panted for breath, Noiz smirked and licked his lips, planting another soft kiss on Aoba’s forehead before he finally released him.

_This brat…!_

“Are you going to class today?” Noiz asked, acting as if nothing had happened as he ran his hand through his messy hair sleepily and took a seat on the dining table.

“I’m not,” Aoba responded with a frown. “And go back to the bedroom. I’m not done yet.”

“Breakfast can wait.” Another smirk. “What happened to class?”

“I took a day off,” Aoba simply replied as he strolled back to the stove to check on the dish he was preparing.

“Why?”

Aoba remained silent, but Noiz figured out the answer on his own anyway. Once again, Aoba had decided to sacrifice one day’s worth of studying so he could spend some time with him.

Every time Aoba showed him tiny hints of affection such as these, he would feel tingling warmth deep inside his chest, often managing to shake his inner balance.

Lips curling into a small smirk, he stood up from his seat as he made his way back to the hallway.

“Noiz?”

Realizing the sudden change of atmosphere, Aoba followed after him, only to find Noiz looking over his shoulder with a smug look on his face.

“I’ll be waiting for you in the bedroom.”

Aoba was still getting used to his new life, Noiz had no doubt about that. But he wasn’t going to rush him anyway. Aoba could take all the time he ever needed, because no matter how long it’d take, Noiz was going to stand by his side, supporting him, and learning together with him. It was, after all, a new experience for him as well. This was the first time he resided with someone – someone who meant the entire world to him, no less – and this was also the first time he opened his heart to the world.

Aoba told him that the world wasn’t too bad, but he was sure that it was not bad simply because _Aoba_ was a part of his world. He couldn’t imagine himself going back to his old lifestyle anymore; he couldn’t imagine living in the dark every day, constantly feeling empty and unloved. Those days were now behind him.

Aoba was the one who pulled him out of his darkness, who broke his own chains, and who pushed him towards a whole new world that promised a bright future.

And Noiz had no doubts that it would remain bright, because Aoba was in it after all.

By the time Noiz came back from the whirlwind of his own thoughts, Aoba was in their bedroom as well, currently staring out the window. His hair was now let down and there was a blank, but thoughtful expression on his face.

“Say, Noiz,” Aoba said while Noiz walked towards him. “When do you think it’ll start snowing?”

Aoba had been asking him the same question almost every day now. Noiz never knew what was so fascinating about the small balls falling from the sky that covered the whole area with nothing but white. Besides, when it started to snow, it’d be so cold that it’d be a hassle for them to dress themselves even if they were going out for just a short walk.

“Soon,” Noiz responded with the same answer he’d give Aoba every time he asked. “Soon we’ll be experiencing our first ever snow here,” he continued before he wrapped his arm around Aoba’s waist as he kissed softly on the bite mark he’d given Aoba the previous night.

A soft gasp managed to escape Aoba’s lips before he turned around to look at him. Noiz was expecting his usual huff, but instead, Aoba was smiling brightly at him as he grabbed both of his hands.

“Let’s go out!”

Noiz gave out a teasing hum.

“The training again?”

Aoba muttered something about Noiz asking the obvious before he urged him to dress up. Soon, they were out in the cold once again, Aoba with a scarf around his neck and Noiz with that same beanie on his head.

One step, two steps, three, four, five…

Aoba looked back at the trails he’d left behind him. But this time, what drew that gleeful smile on his face wasn’t how he’d managed to leave the prints in the sand; it was the mere image of two sets of similar footprints that created a visible trail behind Noiz and himself.

These trails, just like the young man who was standing right beside him with a confused look on his face, seemingly trying to understand what the feeling under his feet was, were the reason why it was worth it for them to drag themselves out into the cold weather.

Because to both of them, they were more than just normal footprints. These were the footprints of two people who decided to walk their life path together, side by side, with synchronized steps.


End file.
